DPW mishandles parking situation

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Bill Sell

It’s not so much that the parking restrictions in Story Hill were waived for the Harley events at Miller Park. God bless Harley-Davidson and all the revenue and fun the 105th birthday bash brought to the city.

But man, if the Department of Public Works could deliver worse customer service to the people who live here, I’d like to know how.

There generally is no parking in the neighborhood for one hour before stadium events to one hour after stadium events. In June, when Harley representatives and Ald. Michael Murphy talked about the birthday party’s impact on the neighborhood during a Story Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, they assured us the H.O.G. event Thursday and the Harley parade Saturday would be treated as stadium events.

Oops. Never mind. On Thursday, the Story Hill Neighborhood Association delivered a flyer for the neighborhood picnic on Sept. 13. On the reverse side was the news that DPW decided not to enforce the parking restrictions on Thursday — the day the flyer was delivered — and on Saturday. I don’t know if everyone in the neighborhood got that flyer. SHNA is a volunteer organization and the delivery system is not fail-safe.

Why on earth is it left to a neighborhood organization to let us know what DPW is up to? Why didn’t DPW tell us what was going on well in advance of the events? It could have changed a lot of plans for a lot of neighborhood residents.

There also is the matter of DPW just unilaterally deciding not to enforce an ordinance. Who at DPW decides that? Whom do I call at DPW when I want the ordinance to be waived? The precedent is disturbing. If DPW waives the parking rules for Harley-Davidson, can it treat the Milwaukee Brewers any differently if the Brewers have a huge play-off series and fans are arriving from all over and out-of-state? Can DPW legitimately turn anyone down who requests a waiver? Maybe there are criteria for deciding when or when not to enforce parking restrictions, but like the waiver itself, DPW hasn’t shared them with us.

Cars jammed into Story Hill Thursday afternoon. Photos by Paul Trotter.

Brewers’ get traffic control under control

Posted on August 5, 2008 by Gretchen Schuldt

Yea, Brewers! Yea, MPD!

Traffic cops, severely lacking earlier in the season, worked at N. Story Pkwy. and W. Bluemound Rd. during the big Cubs series. There were still long lines of cars waiting to get into Miller Park, but they kept moving. That was not the case earlier in the season.

Little Miller Park sidewalk stream will be fixed, Duckett says

Posted on July 26, 2008 by Gretchen Schuldt

The amazing, endless stream running across the sidewalk and roadway adjacent to the Miller Park parking lot near N. Story Parkway and W. Bluemound Rd. will be fixed, Stadium Board Executive Director Mike Duckett said Friday.

It’s always wet here on the sidewalk and road near Miller Park, near Story Pkwy. and Bluemound Rd.

The water was the topic of conversation and concern at the June membership meeting of the Story HIll Neighborhood Association.

Duckett said the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to use money from the segregated reserve fund, which is jointly funded by the Stadium District and the Brewers. The water could eventually damage the road, he said.

A similar stream along the ring road caused the road to heave upwards a few years ago, necessitating repairs.

It’s not clear yet how the fix will happen, although there is a decent chance it will involve the installation of additional drain tiles. It also could involve planting new vegetation, but the area — just a few years ago lush with native grasses — is being overrun with invasives and it is questionable whether new vegetation could survive.

The Stadium District and the Brewers need to do more research before deciding on an approach, Duckett said.

“Protecting the road is something we want to do yet this year,” he said.

Duckett said he hopes to have a fix before winter, when the little stream across the sidewalk, if left alone, will turn once again into a thick layer of ice.

“It’s not safe,” he said.

The Brewers came to our little park

Posted on July 12, 2008 by Gretchen Schuldt

It was a very low-key affair in Mitchell Blvd. Park today, although folks were lined up at 10 a.m. for autographs that wouldn’t be given for a couple hours. The food was gone in about 15 minutes.

Click on the pics. The heads aren’t really all cut off.